Intel Haswell-E Core i7-5960X de-lidded

Overclockers and enthusiasts can rejoy as the newest picture of a de-lidded Intel Core i7-5960X Haswell-E CPU shows that Intel is using soldered thermal interface material (TIM) for its upcoming line of High-End Desktop (HEDT) Haswell-E CPUs.

Guys from the OCDrift.com managed to get their hands on a picture of a de-lidded the flagship Haswell-E CPU, the Core i7-5960X, which shows that Intel has decided to solder the die of the chip to the IHS with a strong epoxy. This is good news for enthusiasts and overclockers, as the soldered IHS will allow much better heat conductivity, something that was a big problem on Intel's previously available Core i7-4790K, Core i7-4770K and the Core i7-3770K CPUs.

In case you missed the previous reports, Intel plans to release its new HEDT platform, which includes Haswell-E CPUs as well as the new X99 Express chipset sometime in September. The Haswell-E lineup will include three SKUs, the Intel Core i7-5820K, Core i7-5930L and the flagship Core i7-5960X. Earlier rumors suggest that the Core i7-5960X is an octa-core part with Hyper-threading support, 20MB of L3 cache, 3.0GHz base and 3.3GHz Turbo clocks and a 140W TDP.

The accompanied X99 Express HEDT platform chipset will bring several new features but the main advantage is the support for DDR4 memory, with DDR4 memory controller integrated within the CPU itself. Just as it was the case with the Ivy Bridge-E, the new Haswell-E HEDT platform will offer better overclocking features. The flagship Core i7-5960X Haswell-E CPU is expected to have the same US $999 price tag as all previous Extreme Edition CPUs.